The receiving button or knob on the traditional snap-on prophylaxis angle, whether metal or disposable plastic, has the failing of allowing the rubber snap-on prophylaxis cup to slip or slide upon that knob and base when that knob and base are rotating in an attempt to polish the teeth. When the cup and its pumice are placed on the tooth surface, only the attachment knob or button of the mandrel, upon which the prophylaxis cup is placed, moves; the rubber prophylaxis cup does not. There can be no polishing without prophylaxis cup movement.
All of the existing prophylaxis right angles of the snap-on prophy cup style are basically useless. This style is most common with the disposable prophy angles which are not used by dental hygienists due to the slipping of the rubber snap-on prophy cup as it rides upon the smooth knob. Disposable prophy angles are desirable due to patients' fear of sterilization procedures within the dental office. With prongs arising not from the prophylaxis angle mandrel's knob, but from the base or slinger ring, the rubber snap-on prophylaxis cup will be securely gripped and will rotate with the same revolutions as the mandrel's knob, or button in a safe manner which means the projections will not ever be able to laterally puncture the rubber of the praphy cup and thereby lacerating the gum tissue. The prongs will prevent spinning of the knob within the affixed rubber prophylaxis cup's base cavity and force it to rotate with the rotation of the rotor as expected.
The improvement of the attachment device on this prophylaxis angle will allow the operator to use a snap-on style prophylaxis angle in the desired manner.
This invention is an improvement on the dental prophylaxis right angle which receives the rubber prophy cup referred to as a snap-on style. The constant problem with the conventional snap-on prophylaxis right angle is that the prophy cup will not consistently rotate with the rotation of the knob on the prophylaxis right angle because the knob is a smooth structure which fails to grip the snap-on rubber prophy cup, and therefore spins independently within the affixed rubber prophy cup at the time the prophy cup is placed in contact with the tooth with slight pressure in order to cause the tooth to be polished. This is unfortunate as the snap-on disposable prophylaxis right angle is very desirable. Also, the snap-on disposable prophylaxis right angle is more economical to make than the type which receives the screw-on prophy cup which will not slip during the procedure.